Excerpt: Caressed by the Edge of Darkness by Amanda J. Greene #Giveaway

Excerpt 1:

When Jordan heard Ross’s
blood chilling growl, awareness plowed into her, overwhelming her delicate
senses. The lights were blinding and she had to will her eyes to focus while
the sounds of cracking bones and pained moans assaulted her ears. Her instincts
recognized what her brain couldn’t seem to process, a fight had broken out.

As her vision cleared,
Jordan swallowed a scream. The hostess lie in a heap on the floor, bodies of
guards with their necks twisted and bone extending from distorted limbs were
piled high, blocking the door.

This wasn’t a fight. She
was in the middle of a battle and, thanks to Ross whose’s arm was like a steal
band around her waist, she had the privilege of being front and center.

The nauseating sound of
crushing vertebra drew Jordan’s gaze to the dark figure in the corner. He held
a guard off the ground, his large, black leather clad hand wrapped around the
weaker vampire’s throat. He guard’s neck snapped, his head wrenching to the
side when the figure released him.

Had he done all this?

Ross slowly retreated
until the heel of his boots hit the wall. Jordan could feel the chill of the
winter storm seeping past the glass of the window behind them.

“Who the fuck are you?”
Ross demanded.

The figure slowly
turned. His perfectly black tailored suite with matching back shirt and tie
were a striking contrast to the white walls. The black paisley bandana
concealed his face, the fedora he wore cast shadows over his features. Thought
she couldn’t see his eyes, she felt his burning gaze.

Oh, god. Was he the man who purchased her?

The dark male rolled his
wide shoulders, ready and waiting for his next opponent. The distant pounding
of boots splintered the strained silence that filled the room. Jordan
recognized the sound. More guards.

Me. He wants me. Fear, hope, and…excitement quickened her pulse.
She knew it was foolish to think this new vampire would be any better than the
slave traders, but she now had the element of surprise on her side and a chance
to escape. Ross would never share that she had killed two of his men. The dark
figure was dangerous, but he would underestimate her like all the others.
Jordan just needed to survive the moment. Ross was using her as a human shield.
If the mysterious vampire attacked, she’d be a goner.

“You haven’t paid,” Ross
sneered. He tightened his grip around her waist.

Jordan gasped in pain
and the dark figure growled low, “Careful.”

Ross laughed. “Worried I
might injure the little mortal?” His hand slipped around her throat, his
fingers bruising. “I can break her neck if I want.” Ross nipped at the tip of
her ear.

Jordan cringed and
craned her neck, trying to turn away, but he held her firm. Using the only play
open to her, Jordan turned toward Ross and sank her teeth into his cheek.

With a vicious roar, he
shoved her away. Jordan fell hard to her knees, landing beside the hostess. She
tried to stand, but her legs wouldn’t support her. God damn it, the drug was still in her system.

“Bitch!” Ross seethed.
Grabbing her by the hair, he drew her up. “You’ll pay for that.”

Jordan spit his blood in
his face and smiled when Ross’s eyes turned pure black with rage.

“Your death won’t be
easy,” he hissed.

Jordan struggled for freedom,
but her limbs remained useless.

Guards began to bang on
the door. It wouldn’t be long until they busted in, sweeping the bodies aside.
They would swarm the small office, kill the dark vampire, and Ross would punish
her.

“Enough,” the figure
commanded, his voice deathly calm.

Jordan was spun around,
her back hitting Ross’s chest once more. His arm snaked around her middle his
finger digging into her hip while his other hand continued to grip her hair.

The dark figure tore off
the bandana, the fabric floated down to cover the face of his last victim. His
long, gloved fingers gently pinched the brim of his hat. With a nonchalant air
and smooth movement, he flipped the fedora from his head, tumbled it down his
arm and carefully sat it on the desk.

Jordan sucked in a
painful breath, her eyes going wide, her mouth falling open, her mind went
numb. It couldn’t be him. He couldn’t be here. Not really. She must’ve finally
lost it. Her mind must have finally cracked. She blink once, twice, three times
and he remained there, standing just a grasp away.

He was even more
stunning than she remembered. Strands of blond hair fell across his brow and
framed the hard, sculpted lines of his face: perfectly square jawline, full
lips, and defined cheekbones. Crystal green eyes, threaded with threads of
obsidian, locked on her. His gaze was mesmerizing, beautifully dangerous.
Entranced, Jordan reached for him. The tips of her fingers tingled. She wanted
to touch him. She needed to touch him, to feel him, to make certain he was
real, that he wasn’t just a figment of her imagination. A character created by
her brain to help her cope with the horrific memories of the night she’d be
captured. But he had been there. He’d
come to see her preform. He’d followed her backstage.

“Gabriel Erhard,” Ross
snarled.

Gabriel? Yes, yes! This
was the man that had come to her show. This was the man who made her heart
skip. The man that had offered her a record contract. No, he was the vampire
that attacked Boras’s territories and freed the slaves. He had been her only
hope for escape and he was here.

“Give me the girl.”

The pounding on the door
intensified, the guards would be in any moment.

“All those raids on my
warehouses,” Ross chuckled. “All the slaves you released.” His fingers squeezed
around her throat. Jordan gasped for air. Her lungs began to burn. She clawed
at his hand, her nails scratching, drawing blood. Still, Ross held her. “Have
you been searching for her?”

The black shards swirled
in Gabriel’s eyes, darkening the gentle green and bleeding in to the white
until his gaze was completely consumed by wrathful darkness. Demon eyes. His
lips pulled from his long, razor sharp fangs.

Ross growled, “She’s
mine, Erhard!”

The door splintered, the
bodies of the incapacitated guards were shoved aside as vampires rushed in,
filling the room, surrounding Gabriel.

Ross pressed his lips
against her temple and whispered, “You’ll never have her.”

His grip on her throat
eased as he swung her around. Glass shattered and rained down upon them,
nicking her cheek, her arms, and legs. They were falling. Jordan managed to
suck in enough air to scream.

Excerpt 3:

Gabriel
set her on the edge of the tub before turning to the cupboards lining one of the
walls. He began to rummaging through their contents, searching for something.

Steam
rose from the water and Jordan couldn’t resist dipping her fingers into the
warmth. Bad idea. She tumbled and fully anticipated to meet the water. A large
hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her upright. “Can’t
leave you for a second.” Though Gabriel’s tone was sharp, his eyes sparkled
with amusement.

“Sorry,
I haven’t recovered my balance yet.”

He
shrugged then tossed two pink discs in the water. They instantly began to fizz
and the room filled with the scent of midnight blooming jasmine. The water
foamed over, billowing clouds of bubbles took shape.

Gabriel
reached over and turned the faucet off. “I should give you some privacy, but
I’m afraid of leaving you alone.”

She
smiled. “I promise to stay in the shallow end.”

That
earned her a chuckle. “See that you do. I’ll be right back. Try not to slip or
drown in my absence. I’d hate to have spent so much energy saving you only to
have you perish from an accident in my home.”

How is a girl supposed
to respond to that? She
shrugged. He’s a sweetheart.

Jordan’s
fingers trembled as she unsuccessfully worked the buttons of the shirt. This
was going to take forever. After another futile moment ticked by, frustration
got the best of her. Gripping the material with both hands, Jordan tore it
apart. Buttons flew like tiny missiles, some binged off the mirror over the
double sinks while others bounced and rolled across the floor.

Once
free of the shirt, she scooted her bottom back and gingerly slipped into the
welcoming heat of the water. “Oh, yes,” she sighed, her eyes closing. This was
exactly what she needed. She sank further under the bubbles and rested her head
on the rim. The warmth eased her aches and twinges and chased away the cold
that permanently settled in her bones.

“Good.
You survived while I was gone.”

Jordan’s
eyelids snapped open. “Y-your back already.” Did she just squeak like a mouse?

The
edge of his lips twitched, but he didn’t smile.

She
cleared her throat and eased into a sitting position. Stretching her arms wide,
she drew a mass of bubbles to her chest to conceal her breasts. “Not going to
lie, it was touch and go there for a minute.”

Again
he resisted a smile. Why? He’d be beyond gorgeous if he smiled.

Gabriel
set a way too large black robe on the counter then headed back to the wall of
cupboards to pull out a stack of fluffy white towels. After placing the pile
beside the tub, he said, “That should be everything you need. I’ll remain in
the room to grant you privacy.”

“No.”
The force of her tone even caught her off guard and the panic that had laced
that one word struck her like a blow to the gut.

“Jordan?”

“Sorry.”
She flashed her best I’m-fine smile. “For the last few days…weeks? Damn, it
could’ve been months, I’ve been locked away. Isolated. I missed having someone
to talk to.”

Anger
flashed in Gabriel’s eyes but vanished as quickly as it appeared. He gave her a
tight nod then crossed to the counter. Leaning against the granite edge, he
folded his arms over his wide chest.

“You’re
staying?” she asked, trying her hardest to hold back her surprise.

“Warning,
I’m not one for chatting.”

“A
man of few words, uh? I like that.” Jordan smiled then dipped below the water’s
surface. Slicking her matted hair back, she reached for the bottle of shampoo.
Her fingers still trembled. She cursed when the bottle slipped from her grip
and banged to the floor. Gabriel abandoned his post to retrieve it.

Studying
her hands, she curled and uncurled her fingers. Was it the shock of the night’s
experiences, the remnants of adrenaline? Or was it withdrawals? How long ago
was her last dose?

“What
time is it?”

“A
little past eight.”

Her
eyes went wide. “In the morning?”

He
answered with a nod.

“Shouldn’t
you be dreaming of nocturnal rainbows and blood fountains right now?”

Gabriel
arched a single golden brow. “Nocturnal rainbows?”

“Yeah,
or…whatever vampires like.”

“Such
as unicorns.”

Jordan
gaped. Had the rough and gruff vampire made a joke?

“The
sun doesn’t rule us all,” he added.

“In
other words, you’re old and very strong.”

Again,
a silent nod was her answer. How interesting, she thought. Her aunt had
explained that powerful vampires could resist the call of the sun. Rumor was
some could even walk under its rays without becoming as crispy and chard as
burnt fried chicken. Could he chill on the beach and not burst into flame?

Gabriel
offered her the shampoo. This time, Jordan reach for it with both hands, but
still couldn’t hold on to it. The bottle dropped into the tub and water
splashed across Gabriel’s shirt. “Sorry. My hands won’t stop shaking.”

He
dipped his arm into the water and retrieved the bottle. “Would you like me to
help you?”

Heat
stung her cheeks. His hands in her hair? Oh, yes. Lord, please! A simple
touch could lead to so much more. Did she want more? Was she ready for more?
Never had she been so completely attracted to a man. Her interest in the
opposite sex normally rated next her love for oral surgery—seriously low. But
Gabriel Erhard, the Chief of the misfit Outcast Society, was no ordinary guy a
girl would meet walking in the mall. He was a warrior to the bone: lethal,
powerful, and sexy as sin. His dangerous aura and I’ll-protect-you-from-everything-but-me
gaze called to her wild, base instincts. She wanted him with a ferocity she
never knew existed inside of her. Since the night they’d met at the bar, she’d
been infatuated with him and while she languished away in Hell, her desire to
see him, to hear his voice, to feel his touch one more time was torturous.
Gabriel Erhard, the enemy of her enemy, the male who dared to break the laws of
his society to save the humans and bring peace to the realm of darkness, was a
man she’d fight to possess.

Jordan
mentally shook herself. She’d never been the brazen type and short of throwing
her naked body at him, she wasn’t sure how to seduce the big, bad vampire. Was
he single? Did he find her attractive? She’d felt his erection earlier—hadn’t
she?—while she drank his blood.

Whoa. I didn’t drink his
blood. That had been a dream. Jordan’s brows pinched into a frown and she
began nibbling on her bottom lip. That
hadn’t happened. Right? Her hopes dwindled as she realized she’d likely
imagined his reaction to her when he placed her on the bed.

“Jordan?”

At
the sound of his forceful voice, she violently flinched, sending water
cascading over the side.

“Are
you feeling well?”

She
met his gaze and the concern she saw there made her heart melt. “I just got
lost in here,” she tapped her temple, “and I’m not used to having company.”

Gabriel’s
eyes flickered black with rage then return to their serene, normal green.
“You’re here now and you’ll never experience that again.” He went to his knees
beside the tube. “Turn around. I’ll wash your hair.”

Mouth
suddenly dry, Jordan gave a silent nod of her own. She turned in the water and
dunked her head under again. When she came back up, Gabriel was ready. His
large hands worked the shampoo into her matted hair. His touch was so light, so
gentle, and welcome. Her eyes drifted closed and she swore she heard purring,
from him or her?

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: 10/10/17

Hardened by centuries of torture, former blood slave, Gabriel Erhard, is driven by an insatiable need to destroy his enemies. Violence darkens his battered soul, leaving no place for mercy in his world. Gabriel’s only desire is vengeance—until he finds her.

Seized by vampires, bound as a slave, and placed on the auction block, Jordan Culver is instantly entranced by the dangerous male who claims her. Jordan’s new captor vows to set her free, but his haunted gaze burns with savage desire and his wicked kiss makes her crave his touch and...complete surrender.

While Gabriel battles his enemies, he will break every sacred law to achieve his ultimate goal—uniting the Outcast Society and creating a new vampire Clan. But the distracting human with mesmerizing violet eyes jeopardizes his plans. With very soft whisper she evokes his tormented memories, testing his sanity and challenging his every boundary. Can Jordan help him overcome the miseries of his past and find a future with her?

About the Author

Amanda J. Greene creates paranormal romance for ravenous readers. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys escaping the rewarding but hectic world of writing by spending time in the sun and sand with her military husband and their two dogs.

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